What zakat is, why it is a pillar of Islam, who it is for, and how it differs from voluntary charity.
AI-generated English narration.
Zakat is the obligatory charity that Muslims pay on qualifying wealth. The word is connected with purification and growth. It is one of the five pillars of Islam.
What the sources say
- The Qur’an repeatedly joins zakat with prayer: “establish prayer and give zakah” (2:43).
- The Prophet ﷺ is told to take a charity from the wealth of the believers, by which he purifies them and causes them to grow (9:103).
- Ibn Umar reported that Islam is based on five principles, including paying zakat (Sahih al-Bukhari 8).
- When the Prophet ﷺ sent Mu‘adh to Yemen, he told him to teach the people that Allah had made zakat obligatory on their property, to be taken from their wealthy and given to their poor (Sahih al-Bukhari 1395).
Zakat and sadaqah
Zakat has a fixed threshold, a fixed rate and defined recipients. Sadaqah is voluntary charity: it has no minimum and can be given at any time. Both are valuable, but only zakat is a pillar.
What comes next
The following lessons cover the threshold and rate, zakat on gold, cash, business and investments, who may receive it, and the separate zakat al-Fitr. For a quick estimate, the Worship page has a simple zakat estimate.
Key points
- Zakat is obligatory charity paid on wealth that reaches a minimum threshold, and it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
- The Qur’an describes it as a charity by which the community is purified and caused to grow.
- The Prophet ﷺ taught that it is taken from those who are wealthy among the people and given to the poor.
- Sadaqah is voluntary and can be given at any time and in any amount; zakat has fixed conditions.
Qur’an
“And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].”
Surah Al-Baqarah (2) — 2:43
“Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah 's blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
Surah At-Tawbah (9) — 9:103
Hadith
Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 8 .
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:The Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu`adh to Yemen and said, "Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor."
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1395 .
Hadith text and grading above are shown as supplied by their source. HikmahBridge does not grade Hadith itself. See Sources & Methodology.
Scholarly notes
Scholars differ on some general points, such as whether zakat is due on the wealth of children and of people who are not of sound mind: the majority hold that it is, and the guardian pays it; the Hanafi school holds that it is not. Follow your school or a trusted teacher.
FAQ
Is zakat the same as charity?
Zakat is a specific obligatory charity with defined conditions. Voluntary charity is called sadaqah and is separate.
Do I have to pay zakat every year?
Yes, for each year in which your qualifying wealth remains above the threshold. The next lesson explains the threshold and the year.
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